1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for cleaning tripe. More particularly, the present invention relates to a single apparatus that performs tripe washing and refining operations.
2. Description of Prior Art
Stomachs of ruminant animals, such as cattle, sheep and goats, are commonly processed for human consumption. Ruminant animals have multiple stomachs, including the rumen or “paunch,” which is the first stomach; the omasum or “bible,” which is the third stomach; and the abomasum, which is the fourth stomach. The various stomachs are often collectively referred to as “tripe.” Tripe can be consumed by humans and is considered by some to be a delicacy. However, tripe must be adequately processed prior to human consumption.
Tripe processing typically includes a washing phase and a refining phase. In the washing phase, the interior of the stomach is cleansed of residual contents and other impurities. Washing is typically performed by agitating the tripe to dislodge the impurities and rinsing the tripe with water. A tripe washing apparatus known in the art includes a chamber with a rotatable disc located at the bottom of the chamber. The apparatus agitates the tripe by spinning the disc, which throws the tripe against the walls of the chamber. The walls of the chamber are shaped to deflect the tripe back toward the rotating disc. The apparatus also has means to introduce water into the chamber and to drain the water, so that the tripe may be rinsed as it is agitated and the impurities removed from the chamber.
In the refining phase, fat is removed from the exterior of the stomach. Refining is typically performed after washing and involves scarifying the tripe to cut and scrape the fat from the tripe. A tripe refining apparatus known in the art includes a chamber and a rotatable disc located at the bottom of the chamber, wherein an upper surface of the disc and an inner surface of the chamber are gritted. The apparatus scarifies the tripe by rotating the disc, which scrapes the tripe against the gritted surface of the disc and throws the tripe against the gritted surface of the chamber. The gritted surface of the chamber is shaped to deflect the tripe back toward the rotating disc. The refining apparatus further has means of introducing a refining liquid, such as a water/chemical mixture, into the chamber during the refining process.
These prior art tripe washing apparatuses and prior art tripe refining apparatuses are problematic and subject to several undesirable limitations. For example, the tripe must be removed from the washing apparatus and loaded into the refining apparatus. Tripe can weigh as much as thirty-five pounds per piece and present a slick outer surface, making it difficult to handle, and it is desirable to include as many as twenty tripe in a single cycle. The loading and unloading process, therefore, can require a significant amount of manual labor. Another problem presented by the prior art apparatuses is that each apparatus can cost as much as $50,000, making the cost of a implementing a tripe washing and refining process prohibitively expensive.
Thus, there exists a need in the art for an improved cleaning and refining process that is less labor intensive and more cost-effective.